Michigan Synth Works has an open-source 303 processor and a new kit

Call it the Bride of x0xb0x. Michigan Synth Works today teased a new, Arduino-compatible, open-source 303 processor, plus a full DIY kit. They’re both affordable ways to build your own all-analog, modern TB-303 with current components. And it feels like the early spirit of the open x0xb0x is back. The x0xb0x is the device that […]

Image of hard-shell tacos; photo CC-BY Karl-Martin Skontorp

Taco Tuesday: reason to be cautiously optimistic about tariff relief

Trump’s unprecedented tariffs are starting to hit reality following a Supreme Court defeat over the weekend. Music gear consumers shouldn’t expect any immediate cost relief. But while the picture is complicated and the major problems remains the chaos Trump is causing, there are some hopeful indications for makers and musicians both inside and outside the USA in the longer term.

Peter Kirn - February 24, 2026

OHYUNG’s IOWA on Trans Music Archive is as powerful as a glacier

Take a moment for the arresting stillness of “all dolls go to heaven.” IOWA, the full-length opus by film composer Lia Ouyang Rusli (“OHYUNG”), hits you deep in the gut. The first 2026 release by must-follow label Trans Music Archive is both an essential meditation and a call to arms.

Peter Kirn - February 11, 2026